Work vehicles having lift assemblies, such as skid steer loaders, telescopic handlers, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, forklifts, compact track loaders, bulldozers and the like, are a mainstay of construction work and industry. For example, the lift assembly for a skid steer loader typically includes a pair of loader arms pivotally coupled to the vehicle's chassis that can be raised and lowered at the operator's command using suitable hydraulic cylinders. The loader arms typically have an implement attached to their end, thereby allowing the implement to be moved relative to the ground as the loader arms are raised and lowered. For example, a bucket is often coupled to the loader arm, which allows the skid steer loader to be used to perform material moving operations, wherein a given material, such as sand, dirt, gravel, rocks or any other material, is moved from one location to another.
When performing a material moving operation, operators typically prefer that the loader arms and bucket be properly positioned for dumping the loaded material when the work vehicle reaches the location at which the material is being unloaded (e.g., into the back of a truck or onto a conveyor). Similarly, it is preferred that the loader arms and bucket be properly positioned for digging or scooping up material when the work vehicle reaches the source location of the material. Unfortunately, current control strategies are not equipped to automatically move the loader arms and the bucket to the desired positions as the work vehicle is being moved without causing excessive jerkiness resulting from adjusting the position of the loader arms/bucket too quickly or without requiring the operator to pause due to movement of the loader arms/bucket being too slow.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for controlling a lift assembly of a work vehicle during the performance of a material moving operation that allows for the operational speed of the lift assembly to be synchronized with the speed at which the work vehicle is being moved between the locations for loading and unloading material would be welcomed in the technology.